This invention is directed to a system and method for managing and charging for data storage and management services. More particularly, this invention allows users in a non-office environment to temporarily store and manage documents, files, or other data, and to be charged for such services.
Typically, professionals routinely work with documents or other data while away from their office environment. These professionals or other mobile users often need to temporarily store or manage such documents or other data. In most storage based systems, users are charged for storage services based on the amount of disk space used to store the document or data and are charged on a per day basis. In addition, the charges generally increase over time, thereby making storage of a document or electronic data file an increasing expense.
Previous attempts to provide remote data storage do not allow for the payment of storage based upon the location from which the file to be stored originates. The present storage based systems further lack the ability to determine the number of pages of a file being stored and combining such page information with the storage location. Current implementations lack the ability to factor in the different data storage costs incurred by providers in maintaining data storage equipment. These systems do not take into account the different physical locations in which the storage is accessed. For example, the costs associated with operating data storage equipment or uploading equipment will vary from a region to region. In addition, power costs, network speeds, bandwidth costs, all vary depending upon the location. The current technology does not allow a provider to distinguish the cost for storage based on location.
There is a need for an improved system and method for managing and charging for data storage and management services.